Mar. 28, 1872] 



NATURE 



435 



doubtful, Signor Schiaparelli, on reference to the catalogues of 

 Biot and Quetelet, deduces a hypothetic period of 105 years, 

 which introduces but small changes in the elements — very inferior 

 to the uncertainty of some of the data on which this determina- 

 tion is built. 



In the letters above referred to, Signor Schiaparelli had given 

 an orbit for the meteors of November, assuming the point of 

 radiation as determined in America to be 7 Leoiiis. But later 

 observations made with much care in England have shown that 

 this position is erroneous by several degrees, so that that orbit 

 can only be termed a very rough approximation. Assuming, 

 then, that the point of radiation is longitude 143° 12' and latitude 

 10° 16' north — that the maximum of the shower was November 

 13, I ih. G. M.T. — and that the period of revolution is 33J years, 

 according to Prof. Newton — Signor Schiaparelli compared the 

 following elements of the meteoric orbit, which he compared 

 with those of tlie orbit of Comet I., 1S66, calculated by Dr. 

 Oppolzer. 



Elements of the Orbit Element of the Orbit 

 of Nov. Meteors. of Comet I, 1866. 



Perihelion Passage Nov. 10-092, 1866. Jan. n'i6o, 1866. 



The assumed position of the point of radiation of the meteors 

 is the mean of 15 determinations obtained by Prof. A. S. Her- 

 schel, and given in the Monthly Notices of our Society, vol. 

 xxvii. p. 19. If this point be advanced 2° in longitude, and 145° 

 be taken in lieu of 143°, the difference of \ in the place of the 

 longitude of perihelion in the above elements will disappear. 



Signor Schiaparelli then concludes his memoir in these re- 

 markable words : — "These approximations need no comment — 

 must we regard these falling stars as swarms of small comets, or 

 rather as the product of the dissolution of so many great comets ? 

 I dare make no reply to such a question." 



In venturing to offer a word or two of comment on this very 

 imperfect rjsiiiiu'oi the labours of Signor Schiaparelli, it appears 

 to me that we can scarcely speak of them too highly, or overrate 

 their importance. Granting that his hypotheses are correct, — 

 of which indeed there seems to be a very high probability, some 

 of the most difficult questions in the contemplation of the con- 

 stitution of the universe seem at once, and as it -were per saltiim, 

 to be solved. To have placed before our view so clear a history 

 of those mysterious bodies — nebulce, comets, and aerolites, and 

 their several and intimate relations pointed out — is an advance- 

 ment of Astronomical Science I at least individually had not 

 ventured to anticipate. And a collateral advantage resulting 

 from tliis splendid discovery, is the encouragement given to the 

 careful and diligent observation of phenomena, even when the 

 prospect of a fruitful result is by no means apparent. Had it 

 not been for the patient, systematic, and intelligent observations of 

 Prof. Heis, M. Coulvier-Gravier, Mr. Greg, and Prof. Herschel, 

 Signor Schiaparelli would have wanted many valuable data re- 

 quired in his investigations. 



I may finally remark that an important confirmation of .Signor 

 Schiaparelli's conclusions appears in a valuable paper of Prof. 

 Adams, in our Alonthly Notices, vol. xxvii. p. 247, in which from 

 somewtiat different data, including some observations of his own, 

 he calculates elliptic elements of the November meteors generally 

 very accordant with thosfe above given. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



London 

 Geological Society, March 6. — Prof. Duncan, F.R.S., 

 vice-president, in the chair. — (I.) " Prognat/wdus Giintheri 

 (Egerton), a new genus of fossil Fish from the Lias of Lyme 

 Regis." By Sir P. de M. Grey-Egerton, Bart, M.P., F.R.S. 

 In this paper the author described a new form of fossil fish, 

 having a broad premaxillary plate somewhat resembling the 

 incisor tooth of a gigantic Rodent, a single auxiliary plate like 

 that of Callorhyncluis, and a mandibular dental apparatus 

 closely resemliling that of Cochliodus. For this form he pro- 

 posed the establishment of the new genus Prognat/wdus, and 

 named the species P. Giintheri. Ischyodus 'Johnsoni, Agassiz, 



also probably belongs to this genus, as it agrees with P. Giintheri 

 in the characters of the prema.xillary teeth. The author was 

 doubtful as to the exact po>ition of this genus, which had a head 

 extended in a horizontal instead of a vertical plane, suggesting a 

 resemblance to Zygana, but covered with hard plates like the 

 head of a sturgeon, and exhibited in the dental apparatus the 

 curious combination indicated above.— Dr. Giinther pointed out 

 the interest attaching to the dentition of this fossil fiih as 

 proving the connection between the Ganoid and Chims^roid 

 forms. The existence of three teeth instead of one on each side 

 of the jaw, as in Ceratodiis and others, presented in it a generic 

 character ; but the type was still the same. Mr. Etheridge 

 made some observations as to the horizon in the Lias in which 

 these fossil fishes occurred. He believed that nine out of ten 

 of the Lo .ver Lias Species came out of the upper part of the 

 Biicklandi limestone series. Sir P. Egerton corroborated Mr. 

 Etheridge's views as to the localisation of species of fish, 

 and agreed with him as to the importance of recording the 

 exact position of all such fossils. — (2.) "On two speci- 

 mens of Ischyodus, from the Lias of Lyme Regis." By Sir 

 P. de M. Grey-Egerton, Bart., M.P., F.R.S. In this 

 paper the author noticed a new example of the greatly de- 

 veloped rostrum of a male Chimeroid, an inch shorter, more 

 slender, and more attenuated at the apex, than that of Ischyodus 

 orthorhinus Egerton, having a projecting median rib along the 

 upper surface, and the tubercles of the lower part smaller and 

 fewer than in /. orthorhinus. For this form the author proposed 

 the name of /. leptorhimcs. Also a dorsal fin-spine, with the 

 cartilages to which it was articulated, showing the mechanism of 

 its attachment very clearly. This spine differs from that of /. 

 orthorhiiiMs in being straighter and smoother, and having fewer 

 and smaller tubercles. The author regarded it as probably 

 belonging to /. leptorhinus — (3.) " How the Parallel Roads of 

 Glen Roy were formed." By Prof. James Nicol, F.G.S. In 

 this paper the author endeavoured to explain, in accordance with 

 the marine theory of the origin of the Parallel Roads of Glen 

 Roy, the coincidence of the level of these terraces with that of 

 the different cols, and also how the same sea could have pro- 

 duced terraces at different levels in different valleys. He as- 

 sumed that during the gradual elevation of the land, the gradual 

 closing of the straits between its separate masses by the elevation 

 of the cols above the surface would, by checking the eastward 

 flow of the tidal current, cause the sea-level in the western bays 

 to remain stationary relatively to the rising land ; and during 

 this period the marine erosion would take place along a line 

 corresponding in level to the col. Hence, in Glen Gloy, which 

 has only one col, the highest in the system, the highest road 

 only was fonned ; and Glen Gloy remained unaffected by the 

 stoppage of those cols which produced three roads at lower 

 levels in Glen Roy, the lowest of litem also extending round 

 Glen Spean. Professor Ramsay entered into the history of 

 the theories for accounting for the terraces, the first of which, 

 that of Professor Agassiz (in 1S40), accounted for them by 

 a great glacier damming up the valley, and from time to 

 time declining in height. The glacial theory, on which this 

 view rested, had to some extent been doubted, but eventually had 

 been almost universally accepted even by its first opponents. He 

 next cited the works of the late Mr. Robert Chambers as to the 

 existence of old sea-margins, pointing to a gradual sinking of 

 the sea or a rising of the land. There could be little doubt 

 that a great part of Scotland and of the norlliern part of 

 England, had been at one time covered with glaciers, as had 

 also been the case in other parts of Europe. Unless the whole 

 country had been submerged, and then came up again by a 

 succession of jerks, it seemed impossible that such terraces 

 could have been formed by the sea and still have remained in 

 existence. If, however, there had been great oscillations in 

 temperature, it seemed possible that during the decline of some 

 transverse glacier the varying levels of the lake might have 

 left terraces, traces of which might still be preserved. Mr. 

 Gwyn Jeffreys renewed his protest against regarding these 

 beds as marine unless marine remains were found in them. 

 In Prof. Nicol's former paper, mention, however, had been made 

 of rolled boulders. These occurred at Glasgow, and elsewhere, 

 covered with Balani. As, however, no marine remains had 

 been found in Glen Roy, he adopted the freshwater theory. Mr. 

 Evans regretted that no one else was present who would in any 

 degree advocate the author's views. He pointed out that if the 

 surface of the rocks below the detritus in Glen Roy was glaciated, 

 the probability was in favour of the superficial drift being of 

 marine rather than of subaenal origin. He much doubted 



